Black, trans leaders criticize lack of diversity among Dallas Pride grand marshals
Of the 75 grand marshals in the 31-year history of the Dallas Pride parade, none has been African-American, Asian or transgender.
This tally includes all of the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade’s honorary and special grand marshals. Only five grand marshals have been Hispanic, and it’s unclear whether any have been bisexual.
The lack of African-American grand marshals seems especially exclusionary considering that blacks make up 25 percent of Dallas’s population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.
Michael Doughman, executive director of the Dallas Tavern Guild — the group of LGBT bars and nightclubs that produces Dallas Pride — said the lack of racial diversity among grand marshals stems in part from the fact that until three years ago, members chose grand marshals without public input. Guild members typically chose people who they thought had best served their community, he said.
Read more: http://www.lonestarq.com/black-trans-leaders-criticize-lack-diversity-among-dallas-pride-grand-marshals/
